Mating up in the trees: a new reproductive behaviour in Bothrops jararaca

Bothrops jararaca is a species of the Viperidae family with a wide distribution in Brazil, especially in the south and southeast regions. Although there is a great amount of studies regarding its reproductive cycle and natural history, there are no descriptions of the species’ courtship and mating habits in nature or semi-extensive captivity. This report has the objective of presenting a first observation of B. jararaca mating in the canopy of a semi-extensive captivity. The serpentarium of Instituto Butantan is a semi-extensive captivity which tries to recreate the natural environments of the species there held. Because it is an open-air environment, habitat variables such as temperature and humidity are not controlled. The reproductive condition of the female was evaluated by palpation of the abdomen. On February 16 , 2016, at 09:10am, a male and female of B. jararaca were observed copulating in the area where they are kept. Both individuals were resting on a branch of Tibouchina mutabilis 3.88m tall. The branch, near the point where the cloacae were sitting on, was moist with a secretion most likely coming from one or both of the individuals. It was not collected, and, therefore, not analysed to discover if it contained traces of sperm or pheromones. On the first week of August, it was felt by palpation that the female had vitellogenic follicles. Because it is a species of terrestrial habits, but also being found in the canopy, the fact that this copula occurred at such height indicates that in nature it also occurs in the canopy, which is the case for B. insularis, a closely related species found only in the Queimada Grande Island, at the coast of São Paulo state. Therefore, it could be theorized that this is a behaviour already found in B. jararaca before speciation occurred.